This is a partial list of recent crimes in Berkeley based on information from the Berkeley Police Department, followed by a snapshot of BPD activity this week. The calls for service spreadsheet is available on Google Docs. See also the San Francisco Chronicle’s regularly published list of arrests in Berkeley. For other sources of information on crime in Berkeley see Community CrimeView and Crimemapping.com.
April 15:
Residential Burglary/Stolen Auto – 30 block of Fairlawn Drive – #2012-18494
On Sunday, April 15, 2012 between 1:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., an unknown suspect or suspects pried a sliding door off its tracks and burglarized a home in the 30 block of Fairlawn Drive. The two roommates went out the night before and came home at about 12:30 a.m., then went to sleep. They discovered the crime in the morning. The suspects stole many items from the home including laptops, cameras and musical instruments totaling over $15, 000. The suspect(s) also used car keys to steal a car and entered another unlocked car to take a few items.
Theft of Two Bicycles – 2900 block of Florence Street – #2012-19852
On Sunday, April 15, 2012 between 7:00 p.m. and 10:40 p.m. an unknown suspect or suspects entered the backyard of a home in the 2900 Florence Street and stole two bicycles. The two men’s mountain bikes, a Nishiki and Marin brand, were not secured. The owner gave the BPD officer the serial numbers of the bikes. The officer entered the descriptions and the serial numbers into the Automated Property database as stolen property.
Theft of Large Merchandising Flag Sign – 1400 block of San Pablo Avenue – #2012-19741
On Sunday, April 15, 2012 at about 11:30 a.m., the owner of a business in the 1400 block of San Pablo called BPD to report a theft. The man said that he locked his shop at about 10:00 p.m. the previous night and remembered that he had left an 11 foot green and black sign outside on the sidewalk. When the owner returned the next morning to his shop at about 9:00 a.m., the merchandising sign was gone. The BPD officer documented the theft of the $250 flag and did area checks at other cell/wireless businesses to see if the sign was stolen to place at another location. The BPD officer did not locate it.
April 16:
Car Stop leads to Two Arrests for Possession for Sale of Marijuana and Crack Cocaine – 6th & Bancroft Way – #2012-20001
On Monday, April 16, 2012 at about 10:00 p.m., a two officer BPD car that was working on a focused patrol effort spotted a car stopped in the middle of the roadway at 6thand Bancroft Way. There was a man leaning in the driver’s side window of the car. The BPD officers watched as the driver and pedestrian completed a suspected drug deal. The BPD officers stopped the car and immediately smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside the Volkswagen. An Oakland man was the driver of the car and the passenger was an Oakland woman. A records check revealed that the driver was on probation for narcotics and had a search clause. During a probation search, the BPD officers found over 15 grams of marijuana in four different locations, 41 individually wrapped rocks of cocaine base, 7 larger pieces of cocaine base and cash in small denominations. The BPD officers arrested the 51 year old male suspect for violations of 11351.5 H&S – Possession for Sale of Cocaine Base, 11360 H&S – Sales of Marijuana, 11359H&S – Possession for Sales of Marijuana and 1203.2 – Felony Probation Violation and an outstanding misdemeanor warrant. The Officers arrested the 29 year old woman suspect for violations of 11359 H&S, 11360 H&S and 11352 H&S. Officers booked them into the BPD Jail.
April 17:
Theft From Auto – 1300 Block of Albina Avenue – #2012-20145
On Tuesday, April 17, 2012 at approximately 5:41 p.m., a Berkeley woman called BPD to report that someone had stolen coins from her car during the night. She got home and parked her car at about 7:00 p.m. the previous night and when she went to use it at about 7:25 a.m. that morning, she discovered that change that she uses for parking and miscellaneous had been taken from her unlocked minivan. She wanted BPD to document the theft.
Identity Theft/Fraudulent Charges – 1400 Block of Tenth Street – #2012-20055
A 22 year old Berkeley woman called to report she is the victim of identity theft by an unidentified suspect or suspects. On Tuesday, April 17, 2012 at about 9:45 a.m., the victim told the BPD officer that she began receiving mail from various companies. These companies indicated that the 36 year old had activated several phone numbers and owed the carrier nearly $500. In addition, she got bills from companies with outstanding balances of over $5,000. Some of the companies were Wal-Mart, Macy’s Sears, and Home Depot. She called her bank and closed all of her accounts then checked her credit reports which revealed additional credit lines. She registered her name and flagged her credit reports regarding the unlawful activity. She had been informed by her employer that there had been a security breach a couple year ago.
Please review this important resource about identity theft.
Grand Theft From Auto – 1400 of University Avenue – #2012-20055
A Berkeley man parked his 1987 Toyota in the 1400 block of University Avenue on the 13th of April. When he went to use it on Tuesday, April 17, 2012 at about 8:00 a.m., he heard a loud noise when he started the car up. He examined the car and discovered that the catalytic convertor and muffler had been stolen. He called BPD to document the theft which was estimated by the victim as $950 worth of car parts that would need to be replaced.
April 18:
Stolen Car Just Prior to Call to BPD – 1600 Woolsey Street -#2012-20286
On Wednesday, April 18, 2012 at 5:53 p.m., a woman who lives in the 1600 block of Woolsey Street watched as a two male suspects got out of a car that backed into her driveway. There were others in the tan colored sedan suspect car. The suspects then made off with the woman’s 1989 red four door Toyota Camry. The suspects then fled the driveway in the Toyota travelling east on Woolsey Street. BPD officers did area checks but did not find the tan sedan or the stolen Toyota.
Drunk in Public and Resisting Arrest – 2500 block of Dwight Way – #2012-20319
On Wednesday, April 18, 2012 at 9:20 p.m., a BPD officer was dispatched to the 2500 block of Dwight Way because a community member called to report three men who were running in and out of traffic and harassing pedestrians. The assigned officer and a cover officer arrived a detained two men who match the descriptions provided. One suspect, a 28 year old San Francisco man, was obviously drunk. When the officers tried to handcuff the suspect as he could not care for his own welfare, the suspect began fighting. Another BPD officer arrived to help and the suspect continued to fight until the three were able to get him into handcuffs. Officers booked the suspect into the BPD Jail for violations of 647 (f) PC – Drunk in Public and 148(a)(1) PC – Resisting and/or Obstructing a Peace Officer.
Possession of Heroin and Felony Probation Violation Arrest – 3200 block of Ellis Street – #2012-20302
BPD Drug Task Force (DTF) officers stopped a car with an equipment violation in the 3200 block of Ellis Street. It was Wednesday, April 18, 2012 at approximately 6:55 p.m. The driver, a 53 year old San Leandro man, is active to felony probation with a search clause as a condition of his probation. When the DTF officer searched him, the officer found a balloon of heroin and two clean syringes in the suspect’s possession. DTF arrested the suspect for violations of 11350(a) H&S and 1203.2 PC – Felony Probation violation and booked him into the BPD Jail.
April 19:
Narcotics and Parole Violation Arrest – University Avenue and Bonar Street #2012-20342
On Thursday, April 19, 2012 at about 12:45 a.m., two BPD officers, a Field Training officer and his officer trainee were driving westbound on University Avenue. The FTO pointed out a man who he knew was active to parole and how was in an area known for drug activity. The two officers decided to talk to the man who was on a bus bench with a woman. When the officers walked up to them, the man dropped both a glass pipe used for smoking cocaine base and a piece of cocaine base aka “crack” onto the ground underneath where he was sitting. The BPD training officer arrested the male suspect for violations of 11350(a) H&S – Possession of a Controlled Substance – Cocaine Base, 11364.1 H&S – Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and 3056 PC – Parole Violation.
Driving Under The Influence Arrest – 2100 Block of Roosevelt Avenue – #2012-20348
On Thursday, April 19, 2012 at about 1:55 a.m., a BPD patrol officer saw a car with a tail lamp out that was travelling at a high rate of speed. The officer struggled to catch up to the black car as it was northbound Martin Luther King Jr. Way then west on Allston Way then north on Roosevelt Avenue. The officer made a traffic enforcement stop in the 2100 block of Roosevelt. The driver, a 41 year old Berkeley man, had a very strong odor of alcoholic beverage on his breath. Another BPD officer arrived to complete a DUI investigation. The case officer conducted Field Sobriety Tests during which the suspect exhibited many signs of impairment. The suspect had a BAC of .266 and .267 as tested by a PA (preliminary Alcohol Screening Device) The officer arrested the suspect for violations of 23152 (a) CVC – DUI and 23152 (b) CVC – DUI – BAC .08 or more, an outstanding warrant and a suspended/revoked CA. Driver’s License. At the BPD Jail, the suspect opted for a breath test during which he blew .25 and .25.
Identity Theft /Fraudulent Charges – 2200 Block of Browning Street – #2012-20186
On Wednesday, April 18 , 2012 at 8:30 a.m. a Berkeley man called BPD to report a case of Identity Theft. The male victim had been out of the country for two plus weeks and when he returned, he had mailings that exposed the fraud. He had received letters indicating that a suspect or suspects had opened various accounts including credits cards, bank accounts, cell phone service and a $10,000 loan using his identifying information. The man had closed all the fraudulent accounts and put a flag on his credit with the three credit bureaus alerting them of other crimes. The entities advised the 53 year old to called BPD for the before he called BPD for the documentation.
Snapshots of what your BPD officers have been doing April 15 to morning of April 18:
- Between the two days of…Sunday, April 15, 2012 at 8:48 a.m. and Tuesday, April 17, 2012 at 10:15 p.m., BPD officers were dispatched to 28 audible residential or commercial burglar alarms. Two officers responded, investigated and provided dispositions for each of these calls. None of the alarms listed resulted in a crime as they tend to be human error, (wrong codes, house cleaners, custodial staff, nannies, babysitters, contractors and/or house sitters for example), mechanical or weather related in nature.
- Between Sunday, April 15, 2012 at 12:18 a.m. and Wednesday, April 18, 2012 at 10:29 a.m., BPD officers made 19 pedestrians stops of individuals through the city. These detentions were a result of calls for service from community members regarding suspicious individuals, possible suspects described and associated with a recent crime or incident and officers’ proactive work. The officers did records checks of the majority of these women and men for parole, probation, missing person, restraining orders, wants and warrants statuses. Several were active to probation or parole while 2 were arrested for warrants.
- Between Sunday, April 15, 2012 at 9:57 a.m. and Thursday, April 18, 2012 at 10:02 a.m., BPD officers investigated and documented 19 auto burglaries throughout the city. In most cases, the drivers and/or passengers left valuables in the vehicle such as laptops, iPods, iPhones, luggage and purses. Based on a body of law enforcement experience, these crimes are accomplished very quickly and suspects return to the same areas, neighborhood, parking lots and businesses over and over.
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